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Children's and adolescents' self-representations in the context of adverse family experiences: emotional, relational and cognitive processes, and implications for psychosocial functioning

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Resumo:In this project, three issues, still little explored, about children’s and adolescents’ selfrepresentations were analysed: 1) their association with experiences of exposure to interparental destructive conflict; 2) their construction in the context of child and adolescent maltreatment; and, 3) their associations with children’s and adolescents’ psychosocial functioning in the context of these adverse family experiences. Two cross-sectional studies were carried out. In the first one, based on the emotional security theory, the mediating role of children’s and adolescents’ emotional insecurity in the interparental relationship and of their perception about their relationship with both parents in associations between interparental conflict and their domain-specific self-representations was analysed. Both mediational pathways were supported. The second study focused on testing the "LookingGlass Self Hypothesis" (LGSH), that is, the mediating role of reflected appraisals in associations between significant others’ actual appraisals and self-representations, in the context of child/adolescent maltreatment, considering the moderating role of parent-child communication in this process. Findings supported the LGSH in all dimensions evaluated. In each study, the mediating role of self-representations in associations between these adverse family experiences and children’s and adolescents’ psychosocial functioning was also analysed. Findings emphasized the specific and differentiated role of several selfrepresentation dimensions as intervening mechanisms in those associations. These studies thus reinforce the importance of relational experiences with significant others, namely parents/caregivers, on children’s and adolescents’ self-representations, and highlight the specific and differentiated role of different self-representation dimensions in their psychosocial functioning, bearing important implications for both research and practice.
Autores principais:Silva, Carla Sofia Carvalho de Freitas
Assunto:Self-representations Children and adolescents Interparental conflict Child/adolescent maltreatment Psychosocial functioning Psicologia do desenvolvimento Criança Adolescência Relações familiares Conflito Relação pais-filho Negligência familiar Processos cognitivos Emoção Auto-representações Crianças e adolescentes Conflito interparental Mau trato/negligência Funcionamento psicossocial
Ano:2018
País:Portugal
Tipo de documento:tese de doutoramento
Tipo de acesso:acesso aberto
Instituição associada:ISCTE
Idioma:inglês
Origem:Repositório ISCTE
Descrição
Resumo:In this project, three issues, still little explored, about children’s and adolescents’ selfrepresentations were analysed: 1) their association with experiences of exposure to interparental destructive conflict; 2) their construction in the context of child and adolescent maltreatment; and, 3) their associations with children’s and adolescents’ psychosocial functioning in the context of these adverse family experiences. Two cross-sectional studies were carried out. In the first one, based on the emotional security theory, the mediating role of children’s and adolescents’ emotional insecurity in the interparental relationship and of their perception about their relationship with both parents in associations between interparental conflict and their domain-specific self-representations was analysed. Both mediational pathways were supported. The second study focused on testing the "LookingGlass Self Hypothesis" (LGSH), that is, the mediating role of reflected appraisals in associations between significant others’ actual appraisals and self-representations, in the context of child/adolescent maltreatment, considering the moderating role of parent-child communication in this process. Findings supported the LGSH in all dimensions evaluated. In each study, the mediating role of self-representations in associations between these adverse family experiences and children’s and adolescents’ psychosocial functioning was also analysed. Findings emphasized the specific and differentiated role of several selfrepresentation dimensions as intervening mechanisms in those associations. These studies thus reinforce the importance of relational experiences with significant others, namely parents/caregivers, on children’s and adolescents’ self-representations, and highlight the specific and differentiated role of different self-representation dimensions in their psychosocial functioning, bearing important implications for both research and practice.